All the Books I Got in Bath

A Birthday Bookshop Crawl

A few weeks before my 23rd birthday my best friend asked me what I wanted to do to celebrate. Usually this question doesn’t need to be asked because I’ve usually had my birthday planned since the start of August, sometimes sooner. This time, though, I hadn’t. 

I don’t know if it was because a lot of big life changes happened this year or just that I’m getting older, but I wasn’t so well prepared. Either way, I needed an answer. Since going to Bath with work in August, I have wanted to go back. I also wanted to get away for a day, relax, and make the most of it. So, on the fly, I told Becca I wanted to go to Bath, spend the day in cafes and bookshops, and keep it very chill. So that’s what we did. 

In classic me style, I made a map of the places we could stop at, and invited down my brain’s other half who also knows her way around a bookshop. We went to Scoobs, the paperback sellers at the indoor market, Mr B's Reading Emporium, which looked after us so well and made me believe in magic, and returned to Topping's Booksellers which gave me hope in people. So many small moments of connection were made all day. It was exquisite. 

With all that fittingly overshared and said and done, here’s what I picked up.

Scoobs

This was a small, paperback bookseller in the indoor market. They had clearly marked out sections and a mountain of copies to get through. An entire world of words just heaped high in a big hall in Bath. Excellent stuff. 

Hotel World, Ali Smith

I read Girl Meets Boy at university and LOVED it. I Need to read more Ali Smith.

Dracula, Bram Stoker

Do I already have it? Yes. Did I need another copy? No. Did I want it because of the cover? Absolutely.

The Essex Serpent, Sarah Perry

Alias Grace, Margaret Atwood

Because I love The Robber Bride and The Testaments and I need to read more Atwood. 

Once Upon A River, Diane Setterfield

The Paying Guests, Sarah Waters

Mr B’s Reading Emporium 

This book shop was really great. The staff were so knowledgeable about books, obviously, but in such a lovely way to listen to. I could hear people having genuine conversations about books and it was filling my heart with so much joy. There were little cards about certain books, and they even had sections dedicated to customer favourites and staff favourites. 

I picked up:

Saltwater, Jessica Andrews

All The Things She Said, Daisy Jones

Toppings

Then we headed over to Toppings, which I first went to in August with work and absolutely loved. They have real life bookshelf ladders like in Beauty and the Beast. When I first went I picked up Nell Dunn’s Talking to Women and John Green’s The Anthropocene Reviewed. Whilst in Toppings my friends and I were discussing books and themes and generally gabbing in the way three humanitarian majors do whilst in a book shop. A few people overheard and then multiple exciting, interesting, and brilliant conversations ensued. My auntie also got me a book token for my birthday, so I had some extra dollar to spend. 

This time round I got: 

Sunset, Jessie Cave

I love her podcast. This is her first novel.

Breasts and Eggs, Mieko Kawakami

Exciting Times, Naoise Dolan

Autumn, Ali Smith

I just love bookshops, they restore my faith in humanity. 

It was a glorious day to celebrate turning 23. 

Follow the adventure on Instagram: @artawaytheworld